READING were left ruing a string of missed chances as they crashed out of the FA Youth Cup at home to Wednesday last night.

The under-18s looked as though they were going to ease into the fourth round after a classy first-half performance.

Brendan Rodgers' side were technically better than their visitors, despite only leading by Nathan Bailey's 25th-minute strike.

Referee Evetts made a rare good decision when he allowed play to go on following a foul on Chris Davies. The ball broke for Leon Bird, whose low cross from the right was fired home by striker Bailey.

Adam Theo had an effort cleared off the line, while Wednesday only managed a couple of long-range shots, which did not trouble Royals' England U-18 keeper Jamie Young.

Reading had enough chances to kill the game off in the second half with the classy Ahmet Rifat being denied by an Adam Ogden save shortly after the break.

But the home side missed three good chances in the final minutes.

Louie Soares was unlucky when his rasping effort crashed off the underside of the bar, but his strike was deemed not to have crossed the line.

The impressive Andre Boucard was thwarted by another fine save from Ogden and Rifat will be haunted by a miss in the final minute when he prodded wide from close range.

It proved costly as Wednesday levelled in stoppage time when Richard Wood crashed home a header.

And they completed an unexpected comeback when Young missed Theo's back header and Marcus Oblick prodded the ball forward to Lewis McMahon to slot home. There was more than a hint of offside, but the goal was given and Royals crashed out.

The pick of the Reading players were Rifat, Boucard, Johnny Mullins and Campbell.